Monday, December 26, 2011

A few photos

The simple evergreen garland I made. I knit myself this hat from some cashmere.
"Ceremonial" planting of my birthday cherry tree. Partner actually planted it. I did one shovel of dirt, just like the Queen.
Hey, I knit these two hats too!
And the stroller cover. It's so toasty and warm for Franklin.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Catching up

I admit it, I've been a bad blogger. I don't have the "don't bother me I'm studying" excuse anymore. Or even the gardening excuse. In fact, I don't have any excuse at all. So I'll just apologize and try very hard to improve.

I also better apologize for not having any photos. I need to charge my camera batteries in order to take more photos. And I don't have any excuse for that, either.

So, on to my photo-less catch up post. I've been making things! I sewed Franklin's stroller cover. We call it a Cosy Toes. Is that the official name of stroller covers, or is it a brand name or something? In any case, this cover is like a little sleeping bag that attaches to the stroller and which the child gets strapped into and covered up by. I made it from a second-hand women's wool coat with a second-hand fuzzy afghan for the lining. Photos to follow (eventually).

I also made an evergreen garland to decorate the top of our piano. Partner wanted to cut down some evergreen hedge-type shrubs in our back garden. Heck, I even wanted them cut down--but then I thought they'd make great Christmas decor. So they have not been taken to the guillotine, just the hairdresser. I like the garland so much I might make another for the mantle. Or try my hand at a wreath. Or maybe I'll just think about it some more and try it next year. Photos to (eventually) follow.

In my garden, the garlic I planted--was it last month?--sprouted. We haven't had a proper freeze back there yet, though there's been some light frost. My nasturtiums are my frost guide; while they still live, frost has not conquered. And they live, though the top layer of leaves wilted. I still have some cabbages and chard to harvest; they can survive the winter temperatures, so no hurry to get them in. I even have a couple young potatoes plants growing--I guess we missed a few tubers when harvesting. I doubt they'll survive the cold, though.

Speaking of study, I got my exam results back. I passed both. I'm still amazed I passed the math, though it was a bit of a scrape; there are four grades of passing, 1-4, and I got a grade 3. But hey, a pass is a pass! I have to decide if I'm taking one or two classes this next semester. I'm signed up for one already. Trying to get through three (two mid-level and one advanced) last year nearly killed me, and now the remaining classes are all advanced. Could I really juggle two advanced classes and still manage to care for Franklin, get to work at the weekends, and not have a nervous breakdown?

Birthday next week. I'm telling people I'm 25. I was talking to another mother I'd not seen before at our play group. We talked about our kids--mine's not yet two, hers were 5 and 3; then she asked my age. I knew she was younger than me because of the way she was dressed, but I think she thought I was her age (24) because when I told her I was 30, she said "you look well for it." I nearly fell over. Maybe she thought I said I was 40?

Oh wait, I do have a photo! I took it on my webcam, to show my haircut and pin curls two weeks ago (superfluous toddler in photo because Franklin insists on being the subject of any picture taken in this house). So this one's for you, Kathy and Kim; thank you for asking about it.